Arizona baseball had won five of its last seven games, which included three road wins, entering Friday evening’s matchup with Kansas State.
Arizona
Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi Inducted into Arizona Sports Hall of Fame – Phoenix Today
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A cubist interpretation of Diana Taurasi’s storied career with the Phoenix Mercury, capturing the dynamic energy and multiple facets of her legendary tenure.Phoenix Today
Diana Taurasi, the iconic Phoenix Mercury player who spent her entire 20-year WNBA career with the team, was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame on April 9. Taurasi, a three-time WNBA champion and six-time Olympic gold medalist, was celebrated for her immense impact on the Mercury and women’s basketball in Arizona.
Why it matters
Taurasi’s induction into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame is a testament to her unparalleled achievements and legacy with the Phoenix Mercury. As one of the greatest players in WNBA history, her selection highlights the Mercury’s status as a premier franchise and the growth of women’s professional sports in the state.
The details
Taurasi was drafted by the Mercury as the No. 1 overall pick in 2004 and went on to lead the team to three WNBA championships in 2007, 2009, and 2014. She was named WNBA Finals MVP in 2009 and 2014, and WNBA MVP in 2009. Outside of the Mercury, Taurasi represented the U.S. national team, winning six Olympic gold medals, the most of any U.S. basketball player.
- Taurasi was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame on April 9, 2026.
- Taurasi will be inducted into the Mercury’s Ring of Honor on August 16, 2026.
The players
Diana Taurasi
A legendary WNBA player who spent her entire 20-year career with the Phoenix Mercury, leading the team to three championships and winning six Olympic gold medals with the U.S. national team.
Penny Taylor
Taurasi’s wife and former teammate on the Phoenix Mercury.
Jerry Colangelo
The former owner of the Phoenix Mercury who Taurasi credits for setting the team on a path to success and longevity.
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What they’re saying
“It’s just incredible. Being here for 20 years now, it’s home. Thinking back on all the things we’ve accomplished when we came in 2004, winning championships, making sure that the Phoenix Mercury were the gold standard in the WNBA.”
— Diana Taurasi, WNBA Player
“It’s the fans who did it all. We have the most loyal and amazing fans of all time. The X-Factor was always there. No matter what kind of season we were having, they were always there supporting us and building that community. It’s definitely a treat.”
— Diana Taurasi, WNBA Player
“He kind of set the path to the winning, to the longevity in being here because he’s that type of guy.”
— Diana Taurasi, WNBA Player
What’s next
Taurasi will be inducted into the Phoenix Mercury’s Ring of Honor on August 16, 2026, joining other franchise legends.
The takeaway
Diana Taurasi’s induction into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame solidifies her status as one of the greatest players in WNBA history and a true icon of women’s basketball in the state. Her two-decade tenure with the Mercury, three championships, and six Olympic gold medals have cemented her legacy as a transformative figure who helped elevate the sport to new heights.
In these four-round projections, the Arizona Cardinals don’t get a tackle until the fourth round.
We are just days away from the 2026 NFL draft, and that means some final mock drafts. What direction will the draft take the Arizona Cardinals?
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy put together a four-round mock draft for the Cardinals. They go defense early but rebuild the offense for 2026 and moving forward, including landing their potential franchise quarterback.
Cardinals 4-round mock draft
Here are the players in the first four rounds Popejoy projects for Arizona.
- Round 1: Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese
- Round 2: Alabama QB Ty Simpson
- Round 3: Clemson WR Antonio Williams
- Round 4: Florida OT Austin Barber
What we think of the picks
The Cardinals want to trade out of the third pick and draft a tackle, so not getting a tackle until Round 4 seems unlikely, although they did meet with Barber. They do have options at right tackle for 2026 already on the roster.
Reese would be a great pick if they don’t trade back, as they badly need pass-rushing help off the edge.
Drafting Simpson seems inevitable at this point, so it has to be in a mock draft, although the feeling is they will need to go up into Round 1 again to get him.
Williams has speed and is almost six feet tall, but he does have short arms.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Due to significant injuries to the CB position last year which includes a shoulder surgery for Terrion Arnold, the Lions CB position scored a 6/10 need on my Lions Defensive Draft Need Rankings. Thus, an early-round selection of a young, healthy prospect like Keith Abney would not come as a surprise. He enters the draft with very low medical concern level.
Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Keith Abney:
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Keith Abney, CB (21) – Arizona State
Projected round 2-3. #43 on Jeff Risdon board Feb 19.
Concern level 0/10
There is an isolated report of a hand injury but no corroborating information. Even if the hand injury is true, that’s of minimal to no long-term concern.
His availability in his final two seasons has been perfect. Overall, Abney appears to be medically clean and is at an excellent age.
He finished college with 6 INT and 21 PBU.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Jimmy on X, @JimmyLiaoMD
In the first game of the series, Arizona (14-23, 5-11 Big 12) battled in a low-scoring affair but fell short in a 2-1 loss to Kansas State (24-12, 8-8 Big 12). The Wildcats from Tucson held the Wildcats from Manhattan at bay for a good majority of the night.
Given that Kansas State leads the Big 12 in conference play in batting, on-base percentage, and slugging, Arizona had a rather good performance, but it was not enough.
Owen Kramkowski pitched seven scoreless innings before allowing the first Kansas State run in the top of the eight. He finished with six strikeouts and kept the high octane Wildcats at bay.
“I thought the defense played well behind him too,” said head coach Chip Hale. “There’s a lot of ground balls, and we made plays where we were positioned in good places, and he was pitching in the eighth inning. That’s unbelievable.”
Garrett Hicks (3-1) came in to try and stop the bleeding for the Wildcats and did so by not allowing Kansas State to take the lead in the eighth. It was in the ninth when the lead was surrendered.
It took until the sixth inning but the first run was scored by Arizona. Andrew Cain singled to left field and after Maddox Mihalakis flew out, it was Beau Sylvester bringing Cain home with a triple through right center field.
Sylvester extended his hitting streak to eight games and it proved to be not enough to get Arizona to the finish line.
Kansas State tied the game at the top of the eight when back to back singles got runners on at first and third. Then a passed ball allowed the third base runner to come home.
Arizona had a chance to retake the lead in the bottom of the ninth after Cain singled to deep right field. With Sylvester back at the plate, it seemed like it was a perfect set up.
A wild pitch nearly got past Kansas State and Cain tried to take advantage of it and steal home. However, Kansas State was able to corral the pitch and get Cain out at home.
AJ Evasco started the ninth inning with a double for Kansas State and back to back fly outs eventually got him home to give Kansas State the lead and the win.
With eight players being left on base, Arizona will need to bring those runners in more often than not if they want to tie the series Saturday afternoon.
As a young team, the Wildcats have had to walk a very tight line between disappointment and dejection and will need to continue handling these losses with grace if it wants to turn a corner.
“It’s the way it goes, it’s baseball,” said Hale. “If we don’t handle it, we will come out tomorrow and won’t be ready to go, so hopefully they handle it.”
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